Foxe's Book of Martyrs (Pure Gold Classics) [Revised] 0882708759, 9780882708751

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7 Persecution and

Martyrdom of John Huss (1415) John Huss was born at Hussenitz, Bohemia, in 1372.

He studied theology at the University of Prague, and was ordained a priest and appointed preacher at the Bethlehem chapel in Prague in 1402. In 1409, Huss was made *rector of the University. Huss was greatly influenced by the writings of Wycliffe, especially his rejection of any biblical basis for the Roman Catholic pope having authority over the Church; his insistence that the Scriptures were the foremost authority 1s

The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

in all Church matters; his insistence in the wealth, corruption, and abuses his denial of the church’s doctrine which is the doctrine that says that

on extensive reforms of the Roman church; of transubstantiation, the communion bread

and wine become the actual body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ when the priest prays over them, although their appearances remain the same; and his argument that Christians should have a Bible in their own language that they could read for themselves. At that time, all Bibles were in Latin and for use only by the clergy; some Bibles used for saying mass were chained to the pulpit so they could not be taken out of the building by a layperson. Huss not only believed the doctrines of Wycliffe but began to teach them from his church pulpit and at the University. By so doing, there was no way he could long escape the attention of the pope and his supporters, against whom Huss protested loudly and strongly. The Roman Catholic archbishop of Prague, finding the reformists, as they were now called, daily increasing, issued a decree to suppress the further spreading of Wycliffe’s writings. But this had an effect different than what he expected, for it stimulated Wycliffe’s and Huss’s supporters to greater effort until almost everyone in the University was united to spread the teachings as far as they could. Because he so strongly agreed with the doctrines of Wycliffe, Huss opposed the archbishop’s decree personally and from the pulpit. The archbishop then obtained an official document from the pope, giving him the authority to stop anyone from publishing Wycliffe’s doctrines in his province. Upon receiving the *papal bull, the archbishop immediately condemned Wycliffe’s writings, and commanded any who had such writings to turn them over to him. When four doctors of divinity did not, he issued a decree that they were forbidden to preach to any congregation. Huss and four members of the university protested the decree and 80

Persecution and Martyrdom of John Huss

appealed the sentence to the archbishop. When the pope heard of this, he commissioned a Cardinal Colonna to summon John Huss to Rome and answer the accusations that he was preaching errors and heresies. Upon Huss’s request, King Winceslaus and his wife, certain noble people, and the university leaders, requested that the pope dispense with Huss’s personal appearance in Rome, and that the pope not permit any in Bohemia to be accused of heresy, and permit all priests in Bohemia to freely preach the Gospel in their churches Three representatives appeared for Dr. Huss before Cardinal Colonna to explain why he could not appear, and said they could answer any questions on his behalf. But the cardinal declared that Huss was stubbornly disobedient, and immediately deprived him of any further rights of church membership by excommunicating him. Huss’s representatives appealed to the pope, who commissioned four cardinals to review the process. The cardinals not only confirmed the sentence but enlarged the excommunication to include all of Huss’s friends and followers, which included

his four representatives. Huss appealed the sentence but it was no use, and since he could no longer preach in the Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, he retired to his home town of Hussenitz, where he continued

to teach his new doctrine from the pulpit and in writing. During this time he wrote numerous letters and a long discourse in which he insisted that no one had the authority to forbid anyone from reading books by reformers like Wycliffe. He also wrote books against the corrupt vices of the Roman Catholic pope, cardinals, and clergy. Huss’s arguments were biblically sound and forceful and convinced many that he was right. In November 1414, a council was called in Constance,

Germany, for the purpose of bringing to an end the schism in

81

The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

the Roman Catholic church that had resulted in three competing popes. It was called together by the *antipope John XXIII at the insistence of the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund. During the proceedings, the council declared itself to be superior to the papacy, and removed two of the popes, John XXIII and Benedict XIII, and requested that the third, Gregory XII, relinquish his office. They then elected a new pope, Martin V. Before they adjourned in 1418, the council also degreed that general councils, which had powers superior to popes, would meet regularly to determine church policies and doctrines. But when the Council of Basel met in 1431-37, the pope declared the council heretical and reaffirmed the papacy’s superiority over any such council. Ultimately, little came of the council’s effort to reform the Roman Catholic church, and it’s vices and

corruption continued. John Huss had been invited to attend the Council of Constance, and was guaranteed safe conduct by Emperor Sigismund. Nevertheless, charges of heresy were drawn up against him and presented to the pope and the members of the council. Soon after Huss arrived in Constance, about

January 1415, he was arrested and confined to a room in the palace. When some of Huss’ friends pointed out to the

council that this was a violation of the law and of the emperor’s vow of safe conduct, the pope replied that he himself had never granted any safe conduct, and he was not bound by anything the emperor had said. When an appeal was made to Emperor Sigismund based on his vow of safe conduct, he refused to intervene and protect Huss.

This later caused the emperor much grief after he became the Bohemian king in 1419 and was drawn into the devastating Hussite Wars. Since there were no papal inquisitors to try Huss, the council itself assumed that role. In their foolishness, they first condemned John Wycliffe, who had died in 1384, and

82

Persecution and Martyrdom of John Huss

ordered his body to be dug up and burned to ashes, and the ashes thrown into the Rhine River. When Huss was brought before them, they read forty articles against him, most of them taken from his writings,

and most of them perverted to prove their accusations. To the accusations, Huss replied: “I appealed to the pope, who died before my appeal was determined, so I then appealed to his successor, John XXIII. But since I was not allowed

to defend my cause for over two years, I appealed to the high judge Jesus Christ.” When John Huss finished speaking, his inquisitors demanded to know whether he had received *absolution from the pope or not. He answered, “No.” The council then asked if it was lawful to appeal to Christ or not. To which he answered, “Truethfully I say before you all that there is no more just or effective appeal than an appeal that is made to Christ. For the law says to appeal is to ask a higher judge to right the wrong done to you by a lesser judge. I ask you, who is a higher judge than Christ? Who can judge them at term or justly, or be more impartial and fair? There is no deciet in Christ, and He cannot be decieved, so who can

help the miserable and oppressed better than He can? While Huss was speaking he was laughed at and mocked by all the council members, who then became enraged at his words and condemed him to be burned. Seven came forward and comanded Huss to put on the garments of a priest, which he did. They then began to degrade

and mock him as they removed the priest’s garments from him one at a time. At one point they debated how they should remove the *shaven crown of his head. Huss commented, “I

am amazed that scince you are all odf one cruel mind, you cannot agree on the manner of performing this cruelty.”

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The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

The bishop’s decided that they should cut off the crown of his head with a pair of shears, which they proceeded to do. Then on his bloodied head they put a paper bishop’s hat that had demons painted on it and the words, “A ringleader of heretics.” When Huss saw it, he said, “For my sake, my Lord

Jesus Christ worn a crown of thorns, so for His sake why should I not wear this light crown, even though it is a shameful thing.” When the bishop put the paper *miter on Huss’s head, he said, “Now we commit your soul to hell.” Huss lifted his eyes toward heaven and said, “But I commend into Your hands, O Lord Jesus Christ, my spirit that you have redeemed.” Huss was then led past a fire where they were burning his books and was bound to a stake with a chain. As the executioner wrapped the chain around him, Huss smiled and said, “My Lord Jesus Christ was bound with a harder chain than this one for my sake, so why should I be ashamed of this rusty chain?” The bundles of sticks were piled up to his neck, and then the duke of Bavaria tried to get him to recant his teachings. Huss replied, “No, I never preached any doctrine that was evil, and what I taught with my lips I will now seal with my blood.” When the faggots were lit and the flames engulfed him, Huss sang a hymn so loud and cheerful that he could be heard above the crackling of the burning sticks and the noise of the crowd watching him burn. Soon, however, his voice stopped as the flames reached his throat and face, and he slumped forward against his chains. With continued foolishness the bishops carefully gathered Huss’s ashes and cast them into the Rhine River so that no remnant of Huss would remain on the earth. They could not, however, by torment, fire, or water, erase his memory or his

teachings out of the minds of his supporters. Through them, his

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Persecution and Martyrdom of John Huss

memory and teachings would continue to be honored and spread far and wide. In death, Huss was more of a threat to the papacy then in life. Out of his death were born the Hussites, who were Czech

religious reformers that followed his teachings. They formed the nucleus of a national movement in Bohemia and Moravia after his death on July 6, 1415. Huss’s condemnation for heresy at the Council of Constance and his execution, despite the guarantee of safe conduct given by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, were regarded by the Czech people as a national affront. It was an affront that many never forgot and that led to the Hussite Wars.

85

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